


The Ultimate Triumph

by firewolfsg



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Courage, F/M, Friendship, Gang Rape, Love, M/M, Multi, Non Consensual, Rape, Rape Aftermath, Rape Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-16
Updated: 2013-01-16
Packaged: 2017-11-25 17:59:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/641507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firewolfsg/pseuds/firewolfsg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She is a survivor.</p>
<p>Story finished April 2010 for the kinkme_merlin LJ Community Prompt: Gwen/Other, non-con: other = the barbarians from the "Lancelot and Guinevere" episode.<br/>http://community.livejournal.com/kinkme_merlin/6345.html?thread=2669513&style=mine#t2669513</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ultimate Triumph

They left her for dead upon a table in the centre of the feast hall when they finished having her to their satisfaction. And that was where her friends found her when they finally tracked her down.

She was never told how badly abused she had appeared to them—but she knew anyway. The brigands had completely torn Morgana's gown off to leave her nude before they tied her to the table by her wrists and had four others gripping her legs about calf and ankles to ensure her sex was completely exposed and vulnerable for their plunder. 

Hengist led with the first fuck that ripped her virtue from her and he cruelly made a spectacle of her loss for his cheering men before he was finally finished with her. It did not take too many more hours for her to feel like a cheap slut lying upon the come-drenched table as brigand after brigand climbed between her invitingly spread legs and spent their pleasure within her while she cried and writhed helplessly beneath them. 

It was a long night of tears and humiliation…

She thought herself thankful that she hadn't been conscious when her friends found her. Gwen didn't know if she could have stood it to see their faces twisted in disgust when they laid eyes on her come flooded whore's body. 

She imagined that they must have left her nude upon the table with legs splayed wide and wanton to bring attention to her come matted, viciously ravaged nether regions and the many large hand shaped blooms of blue and sickly yellow bruises that flowered over her thighs, waist, and hips. Ample enough evidence of her thorough ravishment by the vast number of brutes who repeatedly vented their lusts upon her in restitution for her deception to protect her Lady. Her upper body was not spared the ravaging either, her breasts and neck bore many cruel oval shaped bruises with little bleeding cuts that showed the impressions of teeth. And she was conscious of having practically worn a mask of come upon her face in the few hours before she finally fainted. 

As it was, the men were painfully awkward as they tried to solicitously tend to her injuries in the uncomfortable journey home. It seemed to her that they were only too glad to hand her off into Gaius's and Morgana's expert care when they finally reached Camelot.

Lancelot had left not too long after they brought her back. And Gwen had despairing thought that this was because he could not stand the sight of her now that she had been soiled. She was, however, to learn different of Lancelot and her friends in the ensuing weeks and months.

*~*~*~*

Every few days or weeks, a new token from the absent Lancelot would arrive; a ring, a lock of hair, a severed finger… And she'd remember…

It often amazed her when she considered how vividly she could recall that night with the appearance of these tokens. If she consciously thought of it (which she seldom wanted to) the devastating night was a complete blur of warm flesh, unwashed bodies, cruel bruising grips, and pounding, punishing violation. However, when she received these tokens—she immediately knew the man it belonged to... 

The one who owned that crude ring had scratched her thighs with it as he pushed them high and out of his way while he pounded into her arse. The hair—that brigand had enjoyed mauling and sucking on her breasts while he pumped and plundered her womanhood. The finger belonged to the one who liked to make her gag around his cock as he shoved it down her throat.

Supported by Morgana and Merlin, and sometimes even Arthur when he could escape his duties, they sat with her when she opened each gift and momentarily relived the devastating night of terror and helplessness. They hugged her, surrounded and filled her with feelings of safety, protectiveness and love. Ruthlessly pummelling and banishing the quick pain which would often overcome her with these unwanted memories; reminding her that she was weeks—months away from that sordid night and always accompanied by friends now; friends who would never let her walk alone in her anguished suffering; friends who cared nothing of that night. Whose opinion of her never changed nor would ever change because of someone else's actions. Friends who *loved* her—who had and *would* *always* love her. And eventually—she had to admit that in the face of their unwavering support, the memories were to lose their devastating grip upon her.

*~*~*~*

Sometimes the tokens came individually. Sometimes a few arrived at a time. Gwen kept them in a strong box Arthur commissioned for her. And as the months passed, the intensity of the nightmares gradually faded with time and each proof of revenge, until she could open the box and look upon the tokens without shaking.

It wasn't that she didn't remember any more. Gwen could still identify the rapist each token belong to and what the brute had done to make himself particularly memorable. However, the memory no longer struck her down or devastated her with terror or shame. 

The memory was just a dry piece of history to her now, with no more impression upon her than a book of stories she had no particular fondness of. Still, Merlin made sure it was he who put away the grisly treasures in her special strong box; if only to ensure she never thought or tried to take them out again to examine each piece and be lost in the sordid memories of the rapists who abused her that fateful night.

*~*~*~*

Eventually, a year to the day of that horrible night, Lancelot returned with a last token; Hengist's head.

Lancelot carried the head and Arthur took charge of the box of gruesome treasures when they returned to the disused keep. And they placed the objects on the table upon which she'd been found while Merlin remained outside with the ladies. 

Then, Morgana and Lancelot held her tight between them while Merlin brought down the walls and burned the abandoned keep to the ground before he raised a forest in its place; effectively wiping from existence any evidence that a human abode had ever been established there.

*~*~*~*

Gwen married Sir Lancelot upon their return to Camelot. His title conferred upon him by King Uther himself in recognition of his chivalry in avenging a wronged maiden of Camelot. And all could see her finally at peace and content once more.

However, there were still times when she cannot forget. But Gwen survived that devastating night when she had been left for dead, and she was determined to live a full life of love and strength. For she refused to let her rapists triumph over her from the grave. And she also had friends and now a husband who would walk with her and take any burden she bore whenever she faltered. 

Gwen was a survivor. After she finally recognised and accepted the love and support surrounding her, she eventually banished any doubt that she would thrive. For together with her friends and knight champion, she breathed freely and rose above the sordid past in defiance of the cruelty inflicted upon her on that lonely night so long ago. 

*~*~*~*

In time, when Arthur took his rightful place as King of all Albion, with Merlin his grand sorcerer at his right hand and Lancelot his First Knight at his left, the people would often speak too of the two great ladies of the court; the Lady Morgana and Lady Gwen. *Lady* Gwen; no longer a simple handmaiden, but a warmly embraced equal to the Lady Morgana as they stood among the ranks of the Knights of Camelot in service to their King.

Few remembered, or cared to remember, the sad day the future king and his companions carried Lady Gwen's near broken body into Camelot. She was now a great Knight, well-loved and honoured by the people of Camelot. No one remembered the once arrogant and proud brigand Hengist and his band of sorry cowards. 

Unfortunately, Gwen could never quite forget Hengist and his men. Like it as not to admit it, they had claim to a part of her she would never be able to bury. However, contrary to what others may have thought, she turned this memory into the strength of passionate determination to oppose any miscreants who would oppress the weak; standing strong by her husband's side with sword raised and held as surely as any other knight of Camelot. 

Looking upon her when she'd stand in her armour among the other knights, Arthur, Merlin and Lancelot could never help but remember that terrible day of discovery and then admire and be thankful for how far Gwen had grown in beauty and strength. How much she had risen above that terrible attack, and how satisfying they would feel for their remarkable friend in her triumph over that forgettable brigand's cowardly attack upon her so many years ago.

End


End file.
